Visit the beautiful soul Steph

My personal mantra: “When you feel good, you look good.”

Hi my name is Steph McCoy. A few years ago I was asked to give a presentation on makeup tips to a group of women who had sight loss/blindness. The presentation went very well but preparing for it was challenging for three reasons:

Even though I’d worn makeup for over 35 years I never really gave it much thought, so talking about it would be a little strange

It had been only 3 years since I was declared legally blind and I didn’t feel confident

There was little to no information on the internet on this topic for those of us in this demographic

Since my presentation opened the door to a dialog on beauty for the blind and sight impaired, I decided to create a blog to keep the conversation going. Sight loss on its own carries many misconceptions, so when you throw in something like, say, beauty in the mix, people may think:

why would a blind person care about how they look when they can’t see themselves?

how can a blind person even put on makeup when they can’t see to do so?

why would fashion be important to a blind person when they can’t be stylish?

What I’ve learned since losing my sight is that it takes time to adjust to learning new skills and techniques, but we are fundamentally still the same. If you’ve always cared for yourself and took pride in your appearance, sight loss won’t change this aspect as it’s integral to who you are as an individual.

The focus on feeling good is important because, as my grandmother taught me many decades ago, genuine beauty begins on the inside. I believe that confidence goes a long way in telling the world that you feel good about yourself and your appearance reflects this feeling. When a person can walk in confidence, regardless of the status of their life—that is beautiful!

It is my hope that my blog will inspire, enlighten, and encourage you.

“Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson